Autumn Rain
by Gemini14
Summary: When Sesshomaru is badly injured rescuing Kagome from Naraku and his shadows, can Kagome save his life? Or will he be the next in Naraku's list of victims?
1. Part One

Autumn Rain

Part One

Sesshomaru growled softly as he walked along. It had started raining while he'd been hunting, and now he was cold and wet. Slung carelessly over his shoulder, the unconscious form of Kagome Higurashi was slumped (he would have carried her differently, had he still had his own left arm, but that didn't matter now). In the midst of his late evening hunt, he'd had to rescue the wench from Naraku's minions, resulting in a fantastic battle, broken armor, and a deep gash in his abdomen.

"_Curse her_…………._curse that Kagura of the Wind_………." Sesshomaru thought, hissing as he sank to one knee, knowing that if he didn't stop the constant loss of blood, he would be too weak to fight when the time came. As gently as he cared to, he laid Kagome down on the damp grass beside him, and tried to do what he could for the deep wound. The moment he touched the wound, however, he instantly regretted it. No sooner had his fingertips brushed the very edge of the tear in his flesh did pain of the most searing quality race through him. He clenched his jaw to keep from screaming, and dug the fingers of his right hand into the wet earth. His mind told him that the wound had been poisoned, but he didn't know of any poison that could do that to someone like him!

"_Venom of some kind_…………….._hurts so much_………….._where did that cursed hanyou_…………………_get something like this?_" Sesshomaru wondered, not even realizing that Kagome had woken up until he felt a hand tentatively touching his brow.

"_Great_…………._now the wench knows_……………_damn that Naraku!_" Sesshomaru's mind snarled, his top lip curling a little in response to the thought, revealing his sharp fangs.

Kagome had been somewhat confused when she'd found herself lying on a forest path, instead of in the glen where she had been held. She was even more confused when she saw Sesshomaru right next to her………but she could immediately tell that something wasn't right. He was hunched over; head down and right hand digging into the earth as though he were in a terrible amount of pain. His eyes, though averted, Kagome could tell were not their usual amber color; they were on the verge of looking like what they had when he and Inu-Yasha had been fighting in the black pearl all those months ago. When he'd been in his true form. Concern taking over reason, Kagome sat up, then slowly approached the youkai. He didn't notice her move, causing even more concern to arise within the misplaced schoolgirl.

"_He doesn't normally let things sneak up on him like this_…………._What is wrong with him?_" Kagome wondered, as she carefully approached and placed a hand to the youkai's brow. She almost recoiled when she felt the high fever there, but stayed put long enough for the youkai to turn his head and look at her. The now ruby red eyes were glazed with pain, and his body shook in agony with each breath he took. She backed off a little when he bared his fangs, but Kagome knew that he needed help; moreso now than ever.

"Can you stand? We're going to have to get out of this rain, so we both don't end up sick." Kagome said, gently, keeping her voice low so she wouldn't hurt his ears.

"Can't stand…….." Sesshomaru snapped, grimacing when even speaking caused a shudder of pain to travel through him.

"Then let me help you. I think there's something close by we can take shelter in till the rain stops." Kagome suggested, as she moved to help the youkai to his feet. He audibly snarled when she touched his arm, his eyes becoming more feral now than they were before. Instead of being afraid, Kagome's eyes took on a challenging light.

"Listen! I'm only trying to help you! You saved my life, so now I need to do something to help you in return! Chill out!" Kagome shouted, angrily. Stunned by her utter lack of respect, the ire faded from Sesshomaru's eyes and he allowed her to take stock of his injuries.

"This looks like Kagura's doing, all right. But the wound itself is infected……..almost like it's been poisoned." Kagome murmured, intelligently, surprising Sesshomaru a little bit by this.

"Correct on both counts. But I do not know what poison Naraku had used on me." Sesshomaru said, wincing when the girl gently probed the gash in his side.

"I think I may…………but I don't like the thought of it." Kagome stated, as she straightened back up and showed the youkai something she'd found in the center of the wound. He gave it a questioning look.

"It looks like one of the poison powder spheres Inu-Yasha, Miroku-sama, and I found in the Taijiya Village. When Sango-chan used one of these on Inu-Yasha, it almost choked him. I don't know what it would do on open wounds like this." Kagome mused.

"I had heard of the taijiya through many different groups of youkai. They had stated that the 'poison powder' usually did just choke or cause minor irritation………but this feels like a more potent mixture." Sesshomaru said, as he gave the burst open sphere a look of disdain.

"In any case, we've got to get that antidote for you, before you get any worse. C'mon." Kagome said, as she stubbornly helped him to his feet. She stopped when he uttered a choked cry of pain, but he gave her a look and nodded.

"Lead the way, wench. As it is, I won't have the strength to move very far without help for awhile." Sesshomaru admitted, hissing when Kagome slowly moved forward.

"All right. But one thing; my name is Kagome." Kagome replied, with surprising patience, since she had long since gotten used to having someone call her a 'wench' from time to time.

"Whatever." Sesshomaru muttered. Before long, they came to an old hut. Kagome could tell that it had been abandoned not too long before, and hoped that she could find enough herbs to make a poultice for Sesshomaru's wounds. After entering the hut and helping the taiyoukai lie down on the dusty floor, Kagome went about searching for the things she needed. She found a surprising amount of the supplies just outside in a small garden to the side of the old building.

"_Thank goodness! It's just enough to help ease the pain and dilute some of the poison. It won't cure him, but it'll buy him some time._" Kagome thought, then added, "_I hope._" When she got back inside, she could tell that she had a lot of work on her hands; she had to remove what was left of Sesshomaru's armor and kimono, clean the wound, dress it, then find something for both of them to eat.

"_He probably won't be able to handle a solid meal. I don't know what poison would do to a full-blooded youkai, but I know it makes hanyou sick. I should know_………_I've seen it happen to Inu-Yasha before._" Kagome mused, as she quietly got right to work.

Sesshomaru grimaced when Kagome's hands met the torn flesh of his side. He was a little surprised when she gave him a look of concern, yet managed to keep his expression neutral long enough to give her the go-ahead to remove his broken armor.

"It seems I will have to return to the Western Lands in order to get it repaired." Sesshomaru murmured, answering Kagome's unspoken question.

"Seems that way." Kagome said, thoughtfully, as she lifted the shattered breastplate from his chest. Against his will, he breathed a sigh of relief when the weight was removed from his upper body. After an equal struggle of getting the torn and bloodied kimono off, and getting his wound treated and bandaged, Sesshomaru lay back and watched as the girl from the future started preparing a frugal meal.

"_Quite an unusual woman. She isn't afraid of me, but she does respect me_……………_ To some extent, at any rate. Just as easily as she had chosen to help me, she could have left me to go find her friends and the hanyou. But she chose to stay, despite what I had done to her and to Inu-Yasha. Why?_" Sesshomaru wondered, before glaring at his stomach when it growled in response to the rather savory aroma that was starting to rise from another of the cooking pots.

"Hungry?" Kagome asked, with a slight laugh. Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow.

"The understatement of the hour, miko……I was hunting for my dinner when I came across your situation." Sesshomaru muttered, moodily. Kagome nodded silently in response.

"I see. You haven't had dinner yet either." Kagome said, a little shamefacedly, when her stomach growled even louder than Sesshomaru's had.

"Indeed, I have not." Sesshomaru affirmed.

"Well, if you're hungry, then it must mean that the poultice I put in your wound must be working. Otherwise, I don't think you'd have much of an appetite right now." Kagome said, with a little relief showing up on her face.

"It remains to be seen how well it will work, since, as we had discussed before, this version of the poison is far more potent than that your taijiya friend uses." Sesshomaru reminded, then added, "It is too early in the night to be optimistic."

"That's true. Just let me know if you start feeling worse, okay?" Kagome asked. A little taken aback by this, Sesshomaru only nodded.

"I will." Sesshomaru promised. As they waited in uncomfortable silence for the stew to finish cooking, one thought crossed both of their minds at the exact same time.

"_This is going to be a long night._"


	2. Part Two

Part Two

It was almost midnight when Sesshomaru's condition worsened. He was bathed in cold sweat, even though his skin burned with an almost fiery intensity. The bandages bound around his middle were soaked in blood; a sure sign that the poultice wasn't working as well as Kagome had hoped. Even though they had both been expecting this, Kagome had to fight to keep herself from panicking. In just a little less than eight hours, Sesshomaru had declined to a state where even his natural ability to heal wasn't doing any good.

"_We've gotta find Sango. Now. Or he won't make it._" Kagome thought, knowing that, in this case, the old saying about desperate times and desperate measures really did apply.

"Sesshomaru-sama. Sesshomaru-sama. Can you hear me?" Kagome asked, as she gently shook his left shoulder in an attempt to awaken him. With much effort, the taiyoukai turned his head and opened his eyes, unconsciously trying to take on a semblance of his usual arrogant self as he did so.

"Miko……?" Sesshomaru rasped, softly.

"We're going to have to go and find Sango. I know you don't feel like moving, but I don't know what else to do in this situation." Kagome said, helplessly. Her feelings of guilt weren't helped when Sesshomaru silently pushed himself into a sitting position; his eyes clinched shut and a wince covering his handsome features.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome asked, getting in closer when he doubled over slightly.

"Jaken is close. He'll have my mount with him. It will make the search for the taijiya at least a little easier." Sesshomaru gasped, gritting his teeth when he again forced himself to his feet. With some help from Kagome, the wounded youkai limped to the door of the hut. For a moment, he paused; cautiously sniffing the air and checking it for any signs that enemies were near (namely Naraku and Kagura). When he found none, he moved forward again, uttering a sound of pain in his throat as he did so. Almost as soon as they had both left the confines of the hut, they heard Jaken's voice close by, and the rumbling steps of the double-headed dragon coming their way.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Where are you? Sesshomaru-sama!!" Jaken called, grumbling something under his breath when Rin echoed him.

"Rin, Jaken." Sesshomaru replied, getting the pair's attention almost immediately.

"Sesshomaru-sama! There you…..are….." Jaken said as he dashed out of the forest, skidding to a halt when he saw Kagome.

"Sesshomaru-sama! What happened?! Why're you bleeding?!?" Rin asked, fearfully, as she ran over to the taiyoukai and looked up at him. He ignored her questions and gave Jaken a piercing glare.

"We need to find this miko's companions. The taijiya most of all. With every moment that passes, I lose more blood." Sesshomaru said, as understanding filled Jaken's wide yellow eyes.

"Poison." Jaken muttered, getting the slightest of nods from Sesshomaru as a result.

"Poison?! Sesshomaru-sama, you're not gonna die, are you? Please tell me you're not!" Rin bawled, as tears flowed freely down her face. To Kagome's amazement, Sesshomaru's face took on an almost gentle look as he looked at the girl and addressed her.

"I won't die, Rin. I'm not going to let Naraku win that easily." Sesshomaru vowed, even though his eyes told Kagome that his strength was quickly waning.

"Let's get going before the weather gets any worse, okay?" Kagome asked. This got a numb nod from Jaken, and a barely heard 'Yes' from Sesshomaru as a response.

"_Please hang on, Sesshomaru._" Kagome thought, unaware that her thoughts were echoing Jaken and Rin's thoughts exactly.

"Kagome! Where are you? Answer if you can!" Kouga called, as he and Inu-Yasha searched the part of the forest where the girl had been held.

"Why don't you just butt out, wolf? Can't ya see that ya aren't helping matters any?" Inu-Yasha snarled, irritably. Behind them, Kirara, Sango, Miroku, and Shippou also looked around for any signs of the young miko.

"Those two argue like siblings. They more than make up for the lack of that between Inu-Yasha and Sesshomaru." Sango muttered, as she gave both hanyou and wolf youkai a deadpan look.

"I agree with you there, Sango-sama." Miroku agreed. Concern for Kagome had turned into irritation when Kouga had arrived on the scene and started antagonizing Inu-Yasha about letting the schoolgirl get kidnapped by Naraku again. And it wasn't likely to end any time soon. Then, without warning, Inu-Yasha stopped dead in his tracks; a scent had just caught his attention. Ignoring Kouga for a moment, Inu-Yasha exited the grove, following the scent he'd just picked up.

"Inu-Yasha! Wait for us!" Miroku shouted, as Kirara galloped after him and Kouga came along behind them. Since it had stopped raining, the scents roundabout weren't getting washed away, so Inu-Yasha could smell who or what had been there before he and his comrades had arrived (if you could truly count Kouga as being one of them). When the hanyou stopped again, this time in the center of a path, he turned and gave his friends an unreadable look.

"Kagome was here. Just a few hours ago. But I don't know if I can trust my own nose to tell me who'd rescued her." Inu-Yasha said, his voice betraying some of the disbelief he was evidently feeling.

"Whaddayamean, hanyou? Who rescued Kagome before we could get there?" Kouga asked, as he approached and sniffed the ground, his expression changing from irritable to surprised and alarmed almost immediately.

"Sesshomaru." Inu-Yasha murmured, as the wolf youkai nodded numbly and stared at the ground.

"Oh yeah……and he didn't get away unscathed, either. I smell blood….and poison." Kouga added.

"Can you determine what kind of poison, Kouga?" Sango asked. The wolf youkai shook his head.

"The rain had diluted so much of the scent that even I can't determine that. All I know is the fact that the hanyou's half-brother could be just hours away from death." Kouga said, all arrogance gone when he told the two humans that.

"But what kind of poison could do that to someone like Sesshomaru?" Shippou asked.

"Dunno….But it's a pretty safe bet that if we find Sesshomaru, we'll find Kagome. C'mon." Inu-Yasha urged, as he dashed off into the growing gloom.

"Can you follow him in the dark, Kirara?" Sango asked. Kirara growled in response and nodded.

"Good. Now let's get going. We've got no time to waste!" Kouga said, as he tore off after Inu-Yasha.

"For once, we all agree." Miroku muttered, as they plunged headlong into yet another restless night.

Sesshomaru struggled to remain conscious as they searched the growing darkness for Inu-Yasha's group. The pain was almost to the point of being unbearable to the taiyoukai, so much so that his vision was blurring. Yet he refused to lie down for two reasons; one, his pride, and two, his worried companions. Especially Rin. The little girl now watched him fearfully, her large brown eyes showing overwhelming concern for him. And the look was somewhat reflected in Kagome's eyes as well. Even Ah-Un and Jaken looked back from time to time to see if he was all right.

"_Feh. Didn't even know they cared._" Sesshomaru thought, half-heartedly, as he glanced at his hand. It was covered in blood, a fact that did not sit well with him. His body was dying.

"I think we should go to Kaede's village. If nothing else, we can wait there till Inu-Yasha, Sango, and Miroku return." Kagome suggested.

"Are you out of your head?! Sesshomaru-sama will not condone humans to touch him!" Jaken shouted, unwittingly causing Sesshomaru to wince.

"It's the only way I know to get Sesshomaru-sama some help! We can't keep searching like this. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack!" Kagome retorted, just as loudly.

"Both of you shut up. Which way is the village from here, Miko?" Sesshomaru asked, tiredly.

"Due north. That way." Kagome said, pointing in the direction they were to go.

"Then let's go. It's better than listening to the two of you argue the rest of the night." Sesshomaru muttered, as he took the reigns and turned Ah-Un in that direction, ignoring the fact that Jaken and Kagome were exchanging some not-so-polite faces and gestures. Hours later, they found themselves on the outskirts of the village where Kaede, sister of Kikyo, lived. In fact, the old miko in question was standing there waiting with a lantern in hand!

"Kaede-san!" Kagome shouted, as Ah-Un landed in front of the elderly miko.

"Kagome! What in the world…?!" Kaede yelped, as the schoolgirl jumped down, and Sesshomaru followed after her, collapsing to one knee when he hit the ground.

"Kaede-san, Sesshomaru-sama needs help! He's been poisoned by a more potent version of the poison Sango-chan carries!" Kagome said, desperately, as she watched the stubborn taiyoukai get back up on his own. For a moment, Kaede stood frozen to the spot, then she shook her head as though to clear it, and ushered for them to follow her.

"Come with me. I'll see what I can do in the meantime, Sesshomaru-sama. But I cannot promise anything." Kaede said.

"I understand." Sesshomaru murmured, as he moved to follow. Kagome turned abruptly when she heard a sharp intake of breath, and caught Sesshomaru when his legs gave out from under him for a moment.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Jaken and Rin cried, both of them looking panic-stricken for a moment, before Sesshomaru stubbornly got to his feet again and gave them what Kagome could only assume was his version of a reassuring look.

"_He's trying so hard to keep them from worrying about him_…….._Sesshomaru, you're more like Inu-Yasha than even you would care to admit!_" Kagome thought, as they all followed Kaede to her hut.


	3. Part Three

Part Three

Kagome looked on in worry as Kaede placed yet another cold compress on Sesshomaru's forehead. It had only been about three or four hours since the four had arrived in the village, and Sesshomaru had declined rapidly since then.

"_If he gets any worse, I may have to go to my time to get a doctor. He's almost too sick for Kaede-san to take care of, now._" Kagome thought, grimly, looking down when she heard Rin sniffle; struggling to hold her tears back as she curled up against her.

"His fever is getting worse." Kaede murmured, with a look of honest concern on her weathered features as a soft, pained moan rose from Sesshomaru.

"Miko-sama, is Sesshomaru-sama gonna die?" Rin asked, tearfully.

Well, little one, what do you think?" Kaede asked, in turn, her tone gentle.

"That he's strong?" Rin replied, uncertainly. Kaede nodded, slightly.

"And, since he's so strong, he'll fight the poison for as long as he can. Do you know why?" Kaede asked. Rin shook her head.

"It's because he cares about you very much. He doesn't want you to be alone…..Especially not alone with that little green beast outside." Kaede said, motioning in the general direction of Jaken when she said that. It took a moment for Kaede's words to sink in, but, when they did, Rin managed a shaky smile, and Kagome chuckled and shook her head when an outraged 'I heard that!' came from outside. It was then that the Tenseiga did something very odd; it suddenly rose from the floor next to Sesshomaru, hovered just a little bit above him, then started glowing softly.

"_What in the world is the sword doing?_" Kagome wondered, before a thought suddenly struck her like a bolt from the blue; the Tenseiga was pointing out the direction Inu-Yasha was in!

"_And if the Tetsusaiga is coming this way, then Inu-Yasha is bound to have Sango and Miroku with him! Help is on its' way!_" Kagome's mind shouted, as hope reemerged in her eyes.

"Kagome?" Kaede asked, when she saw the young miko abruptly stand up.

"Kaede-san, are there any small flares I can use?" Kagome asked, surprising the elderly miko somewhat with that question.

"Hai, there should be. Why? Do you intend to get Inu-Yasha's attention with them?" Kaede asked, starting to see a plan forming in Kagome's mind. Kagome nodded.

"If he's close enough that Sesshomaru-sama's sword is reacting to the Tetsusaiga, then he's probably close enough to spot the flares." Kagome said, intelligently.

"They're in the hut on the far end of the village. You'll know where to find them." Kaede said, smiling slightly when Kagome dashed out of the hut to try out her idea.

"_I hope this works._" Kagome thought, as she raced down the path to the hut in question; not even bothering to look back when Jaken shouted at her for trampling him.

……………………………..

Inu-Yasha looked up when he heard the telltale whistling of a flare going airborne, and skidded to a halt when he saw it burst in midair.

"Why the hell did ya stop, hanyou? What's the deal?" Kouga asked, angrily.

"That flare came from the village…..There could be some trouble there. Sango! Miroku! C'mon!" Inu-Yasha shouted, as he took off again.

"We're right behind you! Lead the way!" Miroku replied, as Kirara galloped even faster in that direction.

"_Hang on, everyone! Help's comin'!_" Inu-Yasha thought, as he raced the wind and fought back the fear edging its' way into his heart; determined to get there in time even if it killed him.

………………………………….

Kagome peered anxiously into the darkness, waiting for a sign that friendly eyes had seen the flare. She could sense, with her growing powers, that a youkai was heading her way; but she could not tell if it was one of Naraku's minions or not. 

"_Please, let Inu-Yasha have seen that! Please!"_ Kagome thought, jumping when the sounds of running feet came to her ears. At first it was far away, but it was advancing very quickly.

"Kagome!" Inu-Yasha's voice shouted, relief and some irritation revealing itself in his tone, as he broke from the forest and caught the startled schoolgirl in a relieved hug.

"Inu-Yasha!" Kagome yelped, as she hugged him back, and then pulled back so she could look into his eyes. The hanyou looked weary; almost as though he'd spent the whole night searching for her (which he had, of course).

"Hey! Hanyou! Hands off!" Kouga snapped, as he forcefully pulled the two apart and grasped Kagome's hands in his.

"Are you all right, Kagome?" Kouga asked, softly, his worry genuine.

"I'm quite all right, Kouga….." Kagome reassured, then looked back at the hut where Sesshomaru lay.

"Sesshomaru's in there, isn't he?" Inu-Yasha asked, grimly.

"Yeah. He got pretty badly hurt rescuing me earlier. I tried to tend to his wounds on my own, but one of them was too severe. I brought him here with the hope that Sango-chan could help him." Kagome stated, noticing when Kouga and Inu-Yasha exchanged grave looks.

"Looks like you were right about something, for once…..Though, for some reason, I wish you weren't….." Inu-Yasha murmured, just as Kirara (with Sango and Miroku astride her) burst from the undergrowth.

"Me too." Kouga agreed; a little too subdued to take the barb Inu-Yasha had thrown at him.

"Sango-chan, Sesshomaru needs your help! There's a more potent mixture of the taijiya poison in his veins! It's making it impossible for his blood to clot!" Kagome said, urgently.

"I'll do what I can, but I don't know if the antidote I have will even work against the stronger powder." Sango said, doubtfully.

"Then do what you can, Sango-sama." Miroku encouraged, before the female taijiya raced over to the hut where the downed taiyoukai lay dying.

"And now, the waiting begins." Inu-Yasha said, softly, as the rest of the group moved wearily to the hut's porch; waiting to see if the taiyoukai would survive, or perish.

Author's Note!

I am so sorry about the long wait between chapters! I have been battling writer's block, of late, and have had a difficult time trying to figure out a good way to continue this story. Again, I am sorry for the long delay!

Gemini14


	4. Part Four

Part Four

The morning sun was just beginning to peek over the eastern horizon, when Sango finally re-emerged from the hut. Inu-Yasha, Kagome, Miroku, and even Kouga had spent the night around a fire; sharing concerns about where this war against Naraku was taking them, and wondering what else the devious hanyou had up his sleeve.

"How is he, Sango? Did he make it?" Inu-Yasha asked, as the taijiya tiredly walked over to them.

"He made it through the night, thankfully enough...But I don't know if he'll ever truly regain all of his strength. He's very ill, right now." Sango murmured, a little disheartened by what she'd seen and dealt with, all those hours before.

"Hey, Jaken, is Rin asleep?" Inu-Yasha asked, as the green imp waddled over to them.

"Finally. Why do you wish to know?" Jaken asked, in turn, shortly.

"Just somethin' to tell him in case he wakes up." Inu-Yasha replied, as he turned to walk into the hut.

"Inu-Yasha..." Sango called, making the hanyou pause for a moment, and look back.

"What?" Inu-Yasha questioned.

"He might never wake up. Naraku may have won this battle." Sango said, sadly.

"You don't know Sesshomaru. He's not one to give up so easily...Trust me on this one, Sango, he'll survive...and he'll be ready to kick my ass in no time." Inu-Yasha stated, as he entered the darkened hut; leaving his companions in stunned silence.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

The fire-pit had been allowed to burn out, to allow its' occupant to rest. Yet, even Inu-Yasha could see the still form of his half-brother lying there, almost as still as death. Sesshomaru's face was pale; his markings washed out against his almost white skin. His breathing was a raspy wheeze that caused even the battle-hardened Inu-Yasha to shudder at the sound of it.

"_Even breathing is almost too painful for him, at this point._" Inu-Yasha mused, as he silently kneeled at Sesshomaru's side and, without even realizing what he was doing, slowly slid an arm behind his back, and gently propped him up. For the briefest of moments, a wince adorned the Taiyoukai's pallid features, and then he breathed in a little more deeply.

"_It's helping!_" Inu-Yasha thought, as he remained by the wounded youkai's side. At first, a part of his mind questioned him as to why he was doing this; why he was caring so much about his brother's survival...Yet, it was evident that Sesshomaru had cared enough to get Kagome out of Naraku's clutches in the first place.

"I owe you one, Sesshomaru. Thanks for rescuing Kagome." Inu-Yasha murmured, careful to keep his voice quiet enough, so that no one outside would overhear him.

"You...owe me nothing...hanyou..." a soft voice irritably replied, startling Inu-Yasha into looking up, and finding to his unexplained relief, that the Taiyoukai had regained consciousness! Sesshomaru was now gazing up at him with his usual impassive gaze, albeit it was a little vague, thanks to the numbing effect the antidote had on his wound.

"Why'd ya say that?" Inu-Yasha asked.

"You...have nothing...I could possibly want...Save Tetsusaiga." Sesshomaru muttered, as his pain-glazed amber eyes slowly focused on his half brother. Inu-Yasha only smirked at this; he knew it only too well.

"That's nothin' new." Inu-Yasha retorted, hiding a sigh of relief behind a snort of contempt...or trying to, at any rate. Sesshomaru could somehow sense that his brother was acting differently, and knew that it had something to do with his recent injury at Naraku's hands.

"Does something yet bother you, little brother?" Sesshomaru asked, arching an eyebrow when something of Inu-Yasha's usual irritation emerged, and then was taken over by almost an overwhelming concern.

"As much as I hate to admit this, I was actually afraid that Naraku had found a way to kill you...I can't remember ever having seen you this bad off..." Inu-Yasha admitted.

"Fear not, hanyou. This Sesshomaru will not die so easily...Naraku has merely dug his own grave even deeper...that is all." Sesshomaru replied, turning his head slightly when he heard footsteps coming towards the hut.

"Yeah...I'll have to agree with ya there...and everybody else would, too." Inu-Yasha muttered, watching as Kagome and Sango entered, their looks of relief breaking through the grave expressions that had been there until then.

"Can we count on your help when we finally manage to corner and kill Naraku, Sesshomaru-sama?" Miroku asked,, as he approached and kneeled respectfully before the inu-youkai.

"That depends...I may just get there first...and you will have to wait your turn...houshi." Sesshomaru retorted, the look in his golden eyes promising death for the evil hanyou...and it didn't matter who he had to fight alongside (if anyone) to do it.

"I'm sure we will...but you'll have to let your wounds heal first, before you try it." Kagome said, finally speaking up in Sesshomaru's presence.

"Miko, I am not a certain hanyou who leaves his sickbed before he is supposed to." Sesshomaru muttered, then added, "I am not as foolhardy as he, I can assure you of that."

"Shut up!" Inu-Yasha shouted, as the atmosphere eased around them. Sesshomaru was going to live after all...and his alliance was, if not spoken, then silently understood. Naraku had just made one enemy too many...and he was soon going to pay dearly for it.

_**Owari**_

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Yeah, I know, kind of a rushed and sappy ending, but this part wrote itself! (If you must flame anyone, flame my muses! They need to be woken up a bit!) So sorry about the long wait for the conclusion, minna!**_

_**Gemini14**_


End file.
